Working fluids are important components of a wide variety of mechanical systems engines). They facilitate functions such as lubricating moving parts, transferring force or energy on the mechanical system, protecting parts against wear, cleanliness, protection of electrical components, or even a combination of these. These fluids may typically contain hydrocarbon base oil formulated with one or more of numerous performance additives selected to enhance one or more performance characteristics.
Unfortunately, counterfeiting of authentic working fluids is a significant problem for working fluid manufacturers. Counterfeit working fluids may be of lower quality than genuine products, and may have inferior properties that can cause harm to the mechanical systems. For example, genuine engine oil may have a freeze point of −10° C. while the counterfeit product may freeze at +1° C., which means that engines utilizing the counterfeit product will suffer from fluid freezing at higher temperatures than anticipated. If consumers are unaware that the fluid is a counterfeit, they may attribute such inferior performance to the genuine product manufacturer, thereby harming brand image.
Additionally, working fluid manufacturers and/or mechanical system manufacturers may wish to offer their customers incentives associated with use of a particular working fluid in a designated mechanical system. In this case, the producers need a way to verify the authenticity of the working fluid that is used.
The industry has developed various methods for authenticating working fluids. Some authentication methods rely on the manual removal of fluid samples from the mechanical system reservoir for testing in a laboratory. However, these approaches are not useful for real-time determination.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,381 discloses marking a petroleum hydrocarbon with a visible dye and then exposing it to visible radiation from a suitable light source having wavelengths over the dye's characteristic absorption region. The characteristic absorption is then detected using a light absorption detection system capable of detecting absorption of the petroleum sample in this region to confirm the dye's presence. See Col. 8, lns 59-65. However, one limitation of this approach is that it can only be used with dyes having a wavelength of maximum absorption in the higher portion of the visible spectrum in the region of 500 to 700 nm to avoid interference from inherently strong background absorption of chemical hydrocarbons. See Col. 4, lns 33-41.
The '381 Patent further discloses that markers having virtually no absorbance in the visible portion of the spectrum but absorb and fluoresce in the near infrared region may be used. See Col. 3, lns 4-16. However, '381 Patent further states that such markers are difficult and expensive to make, and there are only a finite number of near infrared absorbing or fluorescing molecules that can serve as silent markers. Col. 3, lns 20-26.
U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2016/0242448 filed on Oct. 8, 2014 entitled “Process for Providing Luminescence In Or From a Food Product” discloses an “edible, safe, comestible compositions containing radiation energy absorbing substances capable of generating luminescence (fluorescence or phosphorescence) upon exposure to an external radiation source.” The compositions comprise radiation energy absorbing substances in sufficient amount capable of generating an easily detected (by eye) signal upon exposure to an energy source. The signal generation can be accomplished by using a UV or a visible light source.
Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a real-time method for authenticating working fluids that may be employed in situ and overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.